When I used to edit for a living, I earned the moniker The Death Star because I can be a tad ruthless with prose. Today I hope to teach you guys to be a bit ruthless as well. Before we get started, I do have a quick favor to ask. Some of you may know that I practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu so I’ve taken on our dojo’s blog to see if we can try out new and fun content and am using the moniker Dojo Diva.

Hey guys, it’s been a while. I must apologize for the absence, there is no real excuse. No, I haven’t quit writing (I don’t think any man or God could ever stop me from doing that) I have just been busy, both with writing and life both during the holidays and afterward. It happens, and will likely happen in the future. The goal is to make it happen as infrequent as possible, and to keep putting as much good work for you, the reader, to enjoy. Which brings me to what we are really here for; the story.

Here is something I wrote that I would love some feedback on…In fact, I would love the feedback so much, that I will leave it up to you to decide, whether or not, this story will be continued. I feel there may be a place for it – I certainly feel that…

I’ve been working in a dedicated manner. The blocks of time I’ve set aside for writing, ie., actual writing, reading books on the craft, reading selected pieces that I can only hope to emulate, as well as, author and editor blogs are working to my advantage.At the present, I’m reading Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular by Rust Hills, andConflict, Action & Suspense by William Noble.

I’ve found a few more sites that are excellent for the aspiring and published writer a like.

As my last post was in 2009, I’d say, I set an all time personal best for procrastinating. I decided a few weeks ago that enough is enough. I needed to get over myself, plant my butt in the chair, and start typing.It’s back to the basics for me. I’m going to use my time wisely dividing my days into blocks of time.

Mornings are for working on my memoir. Enjoying my first cup of Seattle’s Best Cinabon coffee drowned in french vanilla creamer, mmmmm. It’s 3am, and I’m so wanting that cup, now. I’m not kidding. My drug of choice is caffeine. I’m sorry to say my guilty little pleasure is smoking cigarettes, Marlboro Special Blend 100’s to be exact. In my defense, I’ve cut way down and I’m thinking about purchasing an electronic cigarette.

My second block is for reviewing. I have many books on every aspect concerning the craft of writing. Maybe I’ll struggling though several writing exercises getting the old juices flowing. Wait, maybe I might need to do that first.

My last block is reserved for the internet. I work on this blog, read editor blogs, read and write emails, and read anything else I find interesting.

Blowing hot and cold…an expression I hoped never to apply to myself, but that is exactly what I have been doing with my writing. I’m always thinking of writing; though, everything I hear and see, I think about how it can be applied to a story or character/situation in a novel. Sometimes I get a chance to write it down, sometimes not, and when I do write, I exhaust myself. Then nothing, for a good long while. I blame most of this inability to commit…to just plain laziness, or possibly fear.

Fear? What is there to fear, you ask? Failure, success, maybe…neither, or just a lot of hard work. Did I mention I am disabled? You see me smirking, don’t you? That’s just a cop-out, you say? Or, am I talking to myself again…

I did want to use this particular post to give anyone who reads my blog a few web sites that I find interesting and might be helpful to any potential writers. Also, at the bottom of my blog you will find some current writing contests.

Well, that last entry was rather glum was it not?I think the past couple of years have taught me happiness is not something that just happens. If I didn’t know this little pearl of wisdom before, I know it now. Happiness has to be consciously worked at until it manifests into your existence. We are told that God will not put anything more upon us than we can handle. Their are those among us like my mother, who has had to deal with much sorrow in her life and has managed to hang on to her unquestioning faith. I love and admire her with everything that is in me. I wish, I could say that I have no questions. I have many and few answers. The one thing I am absolutely positive about is that there is one true God and He is in control of everything. And just maybe, we are not meant to understand some things. I suppose that brings us back to faith.Are happier times in the mix for me? I’m working on it…